LeBron Made a Costly 'Decision' Unpopular move could cost James lots of sponsorships By Kevin Spak Posted Jul 9, 2010 1:55 PM CDT Copied Thomas Johnson, of Bridgeport, Conn., shows his feelings outside the Boys & Girls Club in Greenwich, Conn., Thursday July 8, 2010. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle) Maybe LeBron James really does only care about winning, because if he cares about his money or his image, he’s made a really big mistake. LeBron’s Q rating, which measures how many people know and favorably view a person, was a stratospheric 34 until the decision to leave Cleveland for Miami, but you can expect it to plummet, writes Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight.com. In an unscientific SI.com poll, 61% said they’d once had a positive opinion of LeBron but had changed their minds. LeBron could turn that around a bit by winning, but expectations in Miami “may rival those of the 1992 Dream Team,” theorizes Silver, meaning one championship won’t be enough. Brett Favre’s Q rating dipped 41% after his retirement/unretirement drama in 2008-09. Assuming LeBron takes a similar hit, and assuming his sponsorship money falls proportionately, Silver calculates that the deal will cost LeBron $150 million over the life of the contract. Read These Next Trumps ends trade talks with Canada. Actor Sam Rockwell gets residuals from movie he wasn't in. Gavin Newsom has filed a massive lawsuit against Fox News. President Trump celebrates a 'giant' Supreme Court win. Report an error